All disciples engage in spiritual warfare and are called to fight the good fight of faith as soldiers of Christ Jesus.[1] This calling transcends denominational boundaries—whether evangelical, fundamental, charismatic, Pentecostal, Orthodox, or Reformed—every believer receives the same commission to advance God’s kingdom with disciplined commitment.
Becoming a Christian soldier involves believing in Christ as a new commander, deserting Satan’s allegiance through repentance, and taking an oath through baptism that transfers one from Satan’s kingdom to God’s.[2] The soldier’s fundamental objective is to avoid entanglement in civilian affairs and instead focus on pleasing the commanding officer. (2 Tim 2:3–4) This reorientation of priorities shapes every dimension of Christian life.
The priorities of believers’ hearts determine their spiritual harvest; as soldiers of Christ, the priority must always be obeying God and fulfilling his purpose rather than pursuing worldly comforts.[3] Suffering constitutes part of military service, as soldiers transform their lifestyle, habits, and conduct to serve their commander.[2]
Christian soldiers are equipped with armor: truth girding the loins, righteousness as a breastplate, the gospel of peace as footwear, faith as a shield, salvation as a helmet, and God’s word as an offensive sword.[1] Christ serves as the Captain of salvation who has overcome all enemies and leads the spiritual army of God.[1]
Making it a goal to please God constitutes the overarching aim of Christian soldiering. (2 Cor 5:9) Without faith, it remains impossible to please God, requiring earnest seeking of him. (Heb 11:6)
[2] Knofel Staton, Timothy–Philemon: Unlocking the Scriptures for You, Standard Bible Studies (Cincinnati, OH: Standard, 1988), 135–136.
[3] Margie Fleurant, Focus: Eliminating Distractions for Enhanced Spiritual Vision (Shippensburg, PA: Destiny Image, 2016). [See here.]
No comments:
Post a Comment